Wildlife & Ecology

Flora

Grassland

The grassland ecosystem is prevalent at Heartwood and showcases a diversity of herbs and annuals. Yamba root (Perideridia gardeneri), a perennial bulb, was a staple in the local native Californians’ diet. Through intentional grassland fires, the original inhabitants took part in land management practices that encourage yampa, as well as other edible bulbs. Star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is a highly invasive plant and is scattered throughout Heartwood property’s disturbed soils.

Ponderosa Pine Woodland

This woodland is found on a small portion of the property near the airstrip and again mixed with incense cedars around the main campus. These seem to have been planted nearly fourty years ago.

Black Oaks

Black Oaks (Quercus Kelloggii) are very important tree specias and serve both as a habitat and a mast crop for wildlife. California natives held the acorns in high regard because of their low tannin content and high protein. The primary acorn-producing oaks at Heartwood are large specimens growing in isolation surrounded by grasslands.

Chaparral

The chaparrals of Heartwood are dominated by Manzanita (Arcostaphylos spp.), but also contain mock orange (Philadelphis spp.) and coffee berry (Rhamnus california). Chaparral plant communites grow on fast draining and nutrient poor soils. They are highly fire adapted and have suffered since fire supression became the dominant land management practice of the West. Wildfires assist in recycling nutruents and promoting a healthy vegetative understory. In absence of fire, a diversity of plants and animals are lost as chaparral success into forest.

Douglas Fir Woodland

These forests are dominated by Dougle fir and complimented by an understory of madrones, buckeyes, and maples. The woodland that extends up and down the hill from the Buckeye cabin is the most mature example of this forest type.

Mixed Oak Woodland

These forests are a mixture of black oak, interior live oak, and Oregon white oak. They are used mostly as traveling and bedding routes by terrestrial mammals and food quality is fairly low and seasonal.

Heartwood Outlying areas Masterplan, April 2008
2.1.11 Vegetation (Plant Communities)

Mixed Woodland

These forests are not very abundant on the Heartwood property, but they harbor quite a diverse host of plants and associated animals. They contain Douglas first. madrones, buckeyes, maples, and mock orange.

Trees

  • Black Oak

  • Garry Oak

  • Interior live Oak

  • California Bay Laurel

  • Big Leaf Maple

  • Incense Cedar

  • California Buckeye

  • Gray Line

  • Douglas Fir

  • Sargent Cypress

  • Canyon Live Oak

  • Madrone

  • Monterey Pine

  • Ponderosa Pine

Wild Shrubs & Woody Perennials

  • Manzanita

  • Mock Orange

  • Coyote Brush

  • Toyon Coffeeberry

  • Poison Oak

Fauna

    • Bobcat

    • Dusky Footed Woodrat

    • Black Tailed Deer

    • Western Grey Squirrel

    • Coyote

    • Mountain Lion

    • Wild Boar

    • Jack Rabbit

    • Brush Rabbit Raccoon

    • Pacific Tree Frog

    • Ring Necked Snake

    • Rattlesnake

    • Red Shafted Flicker

    • Kestrel

    • Red Tail Hawk

    • California Towhee

    • Spotted

    • Towhee

    • Acorn Woodpecker

    • White Crowned Sparrow

    • American Goldfinch

    • Western Bluebird

    • Wild Turkey

    • Black Phoebe Scrub Jay

    • Junco

    • Harrier Hawk

    • Ruby Crowned Kinglet

    • Chestnut backed Chickadee

    • Band-tailed Pigeon

    • Varied Thrush

    • Turkey Vulture

    • European Starling

    • American Robin

At the Western edge of the Eel River
Canyon Preserve and Emerald Waters Preserve

Learn More About The Land

Other places with similar climates

  • Braganca, Portugal

  • Isernia Region, Northern Italy

  • Foothills of Mount Parnassis, Greece

  • xTemuco, Araucania Region, Chile

  • Ankara Province, Turkey

  • Atlas Mountains near Fez, Morocco

  • Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia